Death toll from Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region rises to 31
143 others received injuries of varying severity, of which 79 people were hospitalized, medical services tell state media
Ukrainian military mobility in Kupiansk, Ukraine on August 14, 2024
ISTANBUL
The death toll from Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s border region of Kursk has risen to 31, state media reported on Wednesday.
“As of the morning of Aug. 21, 31 people were confirmed dead as a result of the Ukrainian Armed Forces attack on the Kursk region,” Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing medical services.
The report said 143 others received injuries of varying severity, of which 79 people were hospitalized, including four children.
A day earlier, Russia’s medical services told TASS that the death toll had risen from 12 to 17.
Kyiv’s incursion in Kursk began on the night of Aug. 5-6, with its forces entering the border region near the town of Sudzha, about 10 km (6.2 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
President Vladimir Putin accused Kyiv of carrying out a “large-scale provocation” and “indiscriminate shooting,” defining the incursion as a "terrorist attack."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy admitted it was an "operation" by Ukraine's troops days later, specifying that the goal of the incursion is to create a "buffer zone” against Russian attacks.
Zelenskyy later claimed that Ukraine captured 1,250 square kilometers (about 480 square miles) of territory and 92 settlements in Kursk since the start of the incursion. Russia has not yet commented on the claim.
